textiles tutorials and inspiration

A piece a Week – A Glasses Case and Chicks for a Week

Our bathroom was a place to foster three four week old chicks last week from the 4H Program at McClellan Ranch. They are the cutest little creatures to spend time with and the kids really enjoyed sitting in the bathtub talking to the chicks and waiting for them to nap in their laps. One of the chicks belongs to Missy and she is a Production Red chick who will be reddish brown when she grows up to be a hen. You can see her darker feathers appearing beneath her little yellow chick feathers. She was the cutest little ball of feathers when we bought her. I have a new found respect for these little producers and looking forward to when they lay their eggs at the farm. In return for cleaning out the coop the keepers of the chicks will get some eggs.

Missy and her little chick Ruby fast asleep

Little Ruby perching on the edge of their enclosure

Goodnight Ruby

Even though Mr Ash is not in the Poultry project he still enjoyed the chick action in the bath. The other two chicks belong to other children in the project and they enjoyed his company too.

Looking for worms (threads) on the PJs

A friend of mine asked me to make her a Glasses case and she gave me the one she really loved so I could make one for her. I love these cases as I remember having them when I was a kid and enjoyed playing with the mechanism. They are super handy to have and I have been making many of them and trying out what fabrics work best. They are called a Squeeze Frame or Flex Frame and they are quite fun to put together once you work out how to make the casing I love the little pouch on Where the Orchids Grow blog using the Liberty fabric scraps. For these I have used FabMo interior design fabric and for the first one I made I used a linen and the Pink and Yellow Ikat design fabric is an outdoor fabric which was a bit tricker to work with sliding the clip through. Still I love how it sits in my bag and is easy access for my sunglasses with the beautiful spring California sun.

The Squeeze Frame in action

Just pop those sunnies in there

An outdoor fabric using a cotton lining for ease of slipping in the frame

Saturday was a night at the movies with a friend to see Purple Rain – it was so good to see Prince in action and it was so funny to think I watched that film when I was a kid totally ignoring the R rating and enjoying it just for Princes performances on stage with the Revolution. So Sunday came and it was a beautiful warm day and perfect for a ride to the farmers market to collect flowers for the teachers for the Staff Appreciation Week at our school. We loved the look of the proteas and I bought some Billy Buttons which are native to Australia and New Zealand (who knew!) and some lilies. Of course we could not leave the market without some organic strawberries as they are coming into season! I love to ride along with flowers in my basket on a sunny day – no riding pics but here is the bouquet on the dining table looking very happy and very spring!

Spring flowers ready to bloom soon

Oh and as my camera was out and about on Sunday I found my Bella cat in her favorite spot on the fence under the redwood tree enjoying the afternoon breeze.